Photograph
by Sophiacharlotte
Summary: Set in season 6, Caryl. Title comes from Ed Sheeran's. photograph. One shot.


AN: hey - song fic. I was getting feels from Ed Sheeran's Photograph so I figured why not. Few spoilers from the trailer. Set sometime in season 6. Let me know what you think

I do not own or profit from the walking dead.

 _ **PHOTOGRAPH**_

 _ **Photograph- Ed Sheeran.**_

 _ **Loving can hurt**_

 _ **Loving can hurt sometimes**_

 _ **But it's the only thing that I know**_

 _ **When it gets hard**_

 ** _You know it can get hard sometimes_**

 **It is the only thing that makes** us feel alive.

 ** _Photograph - Ed Sheeran_**

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Daryl's eyes opened slowly, a glare of light from the dusty window pane momentarily blinding him. His arms were tied in front of him, his back propped against the wall.

This house was a shit hole. A rundown double wide that had seen it's better days before the turn. The room smelled awful, and that was saying a lot coming from him. It was hot, and humid, the place hadn't had air circulating in years.

"No, no it has not."

She was there, standing by the window. Staring out at virtually nothing, her fingers flicking at a piece of dust on the window pane in disgust. Carol. She'd been with him since he awoke. Haunting him with her presence, of everything he'd lost.

"You don't know that I'm dead Daryl." She said turning towards him. She was wearing a white shirt, that practically made her skin glow, cargo pants and her boots. Her boots that had given him dreams. He loved those boots.

"I saw you, I saw you go down, in the herd. Tried to get to you..." He said hoarsely through his split lips. The herd had hit, he'd gotten separated from everyone he loved. Pushed further and further back until he ended up alone, in the woods. So tired he could barely see was when these assholes had jumped him. He'd barely been able to stand.

Everyone he loved was dead. Just like Beth had said he was the last one standing from their group. What she hadn't understood was that was his nightmare. Being alone. Losing Carol.

At first he thought he was dead. This shithole of a room was some purgatory, to torture him with her vision but, he couldn't be dead, it hurt to badly to know she was gone. It was an overwhelming pain bubbling up from his stomach. A burning lump

in his throat, that made it difficult to breath. He might as well be dead, he didn't want to be the last one standing unless Carol was standing next to him.

"I'm right here." She whispered, kneeling next to him. Her hands running through his hair.

"No you ain't" his voice was coarse.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 ** _We keep this love in a photograph_**

 ** _We made these memories for ourselves_**

 ** _Where our eyes are never closing_**

 ** _Hearts are never broken_**

 ** _Times forever frozen still_**

 ** _Photograph- Ed Sheeran_**

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"So, why am I here then? I'm not a ghost. You know that.."

She was sitting against the wall be his side. Her hand drawing small circles on his own. Her light fingertips a whisper across his skin.

"How do I know that?" He gruffed out through his split lip. It was a couple holding him. The woman seemed to have some medical knowledge. She'd checked him out. Brought him water.

"You know Daryl. This is coming from you." She said smiling at him sweetly. He loved that smile. The one where her eyes would light up. She could be so full of mischief. He loved that about her.

 **This is pretty romantic...screw around?**

"Leave it to you to be thinking of that now Pookie." She said with a grin biting her lip. "Why didn't you say yes?" She asked softly.

"I was a pussy." He muttered. "Never seemed to be the right moment, the right night..."

"Well when you get back, that night would be as good a night as any."she whispered.

"I ain't going back, I saw you go down." He snapped.

"Just like I saw Andrea go down? You of all people should know not to underestimate me." She snapped back her eyes flashing.

"I'm so proud of you." He chuckled at her fierce face. "You're a warrior, a fucking goddess. Look at how far you come." He said.

She smiled sliding over so her body was straddling his. He couldn't feel her weight, but this was all in his fucking mind anyway.

"Then believe in me, do you think I would leave you alone? " she slipped her hand down and pulled up his shirt. Her fingers touching the scar he'd gotten to his side while searching for Sophia. " You wear it on your body, it started everything. Our connection. You're one scar you love. You cherish, because the pain healed and through that pain we found ourselves. It's on your body, forever. Frozen still in time." She leaned down and kissed the scar.

"I don't know what to do" he whispered.

"Negotiate with them, they are not monsters. You know that. Bring them home. Face your fears."

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 ** _So you can keep me_**

 ** _Inside the pocket_**

 ** _Of your ripped jeans_**

 ** _Holdin' me closer_**

 ** _'Til our eyes meet_**

 ** _You won't ever be alone_**

 ** _Wait for me to come home_**

Photograph- Ed Sheeran

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It had been easy, when he decided to do it, to reason with the people holding him. Dwight and Denise, they had kids and were scared shitless after a run in with the wolves. Even better Denise was a doctor. He told them about the herd and the breach in the wall. They decided to go back with him, to see what was left.

They were packing up the truck, when Daryl saw it, shinning along the forest edge like a beacon drawing him towards it like a force of nature. A Cherokee rose. He plucked the bloom staring down at it, twirling it in his fingers before placing it in the pocket of his jeans.

The drive back didn't take that long, and there was signs of life at the gate.

Sasha ran out to greet him. "Daryl!"

He and Sasha had never been close but he returned her hug with enthusiasm. If she made it others did too, and he wasn't alone.

"What happened to you?" She asked pulling back.

"Got trapped ahead of the herd. Had to keep running and fighting. Then these folks found me." He said nodding towards Dwight and Denise and their kids. "Denise is a doctor."

Sasha's eyes widened. "Well, the breach has been repair, but if you don't mind jumping Right in Denise they could probably use your help at the clinic." She said "Daryl can show you the way, I'm on guard duty..."

Sasha turned toward Daryl "We lost Abraham, and Jessie and her two boys, and Carl was hurt real bad. " she said.

"And Carol." He whispered.

Sasha looked at him in confusion "Daryl, Carol is at the clinic right now."

He nearly took off running as fast as his feet could carry him. He heard Denise yelling to be careful or he would bust his stitches. He'd gotten scraped up by metal fighting his way through the breach in the wall. He didn't fucking care.

He burst into the clinic, his eyes wild, darting around the room. He saw Rick and Michonne standing next to Carl in a bed, his head bandaged, and Maggie lying in bed next to an injured Glenn. Their eyes lit up when they saw him. Joy coursing through their faces, but he continued to scan the room, until he saw her.

She was dressed as he'd envisioned her, any other time he would have wondered about that. But now he just didn't give a fuck.

Their eyes met. Her face was practically glowing. It was like he could see the relief pass through her as she released a little hiccup that sounded like a half laugh half sob and brought her fingers to her lips. And then it was like the forest at terminus all over again. He fucking ran to her and clasped her to him. This time he didn't give a fuck if Rick was behind him, when she started to pull away he pulled her back in meeting his lips with hers. He was never letting go.

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 ** _Loving can heal_**

 ** _Loving can mend your soul_**

 ** _And it's the only thing that I know_**

 ** _I swear it will get easier_**

 ** _Remember that with every piece of ya_**

 ** _And it's the only thing we take with us when we die_**

 ** _Photograph- Ed Sheeran_**

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He was exhausted and just glad to be back in his own bed. She said she would come to him, whispered it in his ear as he went up to shower.

Dwight and Denise were a good addition. Denise knew her shit and they badly needed a doctor. Dwight seemed happy as long as Denise and their kids were happy. He reminded Daryl a little of himself. He would do anything for his family.

Daryl had showered, probably the longest one he'd ever taken. He wanted the smell of death of him. He'd practically ruined Carol's white shirt, he'd been a mess when he grabbed her. He'd been shy after, mumbling an apology for getting her dirty. She'd laughed and cupped her hands on his cheeks and kissed him again.

She'd barely left his side since then. He'd just wanted to get her alone, and it was finally happening as she slipped into his room.

She was only wearing a pair of panties and a tank top. She stopped to stare at him for a moment before she slipped into his bed. Her head burrowed into his neck she touched lightly the scar on his side as he held her as close as he could. His arms were clutching her back his fingers trailing down her leg, feeling her shiver at his touch.

He was home. She was home, wherever she was, was home. She hadn't given up on him she whispered "I knew you would find your way back, the herd destroyed the trail, I knew you would find me, You always find me." She said hoarsely before his lips claimed hers.

"I almost gave up." He muttered into her neck as he peeled her tank top up.

"What kept you going?" She said hoarsely. He'd latched his mouth on to her breast, she was running her fingers through his hair. It was so much better when it was real.

He pressed her face into her chest. "You." His voice was barely a whisper, as he came up to her mouth and lined himself up. She kicked off her underwear, he'd been waiting for her naked.

She smiled up at him as he joined them together, he was always overwhelmed by this faith she had in him. She never gave up. She never let him go, after all this time. Whatever he had done in his life to deserve this, her love, he wasn't sure, but he knew one thing, as he kissed her neck he whispered it in her ear.

"I won't ever let you go."


End file.
